Torpedo or mine guard.



A. L. McKELVEY.

TORFEDO 0R MINE GUARD. APPLICATION FILED NOV.2I. I914. RENEWED JUNE 7.I917- 1,43,8&., Patented 00. 23,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES:

BY ,2 v

A. L. McKELVEY.

TOHPEDO 0R MIN E GUARD. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21' I914- RENEWED JUNEH1917.

1,243,848. Patented Oct. 23,1912".

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

onro.

. AncHIEBAlLn L. e EnvE'Y, on ST. LOUIS, lvrisson'far.

'ronrnno on MINE GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d;Ot 23 1917 e App1ication flledNovember 21,1914, Serial No. 873,388.. Renewed June 7 1917. Serial No.173.4L17 ..v

* To all whom may concern .1 Be it known that I, ARCHIEBALD KELvnY, acitizen of theUnited States, re-

Missouri, have invented a new and useful Torpedo orMine Guard, of whichthe following isa specification. a

This invention relates to improvements in torpedo or mine guards forships.

An object of the invention is to provide a guard or screen which may bereadily adjusted to encompass the hull of the ship below the water lineso as toprevent the impact of torpedoes or mines against thehull withprovislonfor ralsmg the screen 1n secp p screen orguard. .The brackets5are preftions out of the. water when not in use.

' circumstances caslon.

Another object is to provide a guard or screen for ships, composed of aseries of in dependently adjustable sections, with supporting andcontrolling devices for holding the sections in proper position, to forma OOIltlIlUOllS guard or shleld w1th1n the water and at a suitabledistance fromthe sides of H the shipto prevent serious damage or injuryas the result of the explosion of torpedoes or mines against the guardor shield, suitable actuating apparatus being provlded.

for raising and lowering the various. sect1ons, whereby the contmuousguard or shield may be maintained in the water, or, removed from thewater, according-to the and requlrements. of the oc-..

lVith the foregoing and other obvious advantages to be obtained from thepresent invention, in View I have designedand arranged the several parts1n the preferred 'manner illustrated in the drawings to which,

reference is made in the following detailed disclosureof the invention.In the drawings V 'Figure 1 isa side elevation of a ship equipped with aguard or shield of the present invention, shown in position, for thepro-.

tection of the hull.

Fig.-2 is a transverse section more clearly illustrating the method ofsupporting a section of the screen in an adjustment to protect the hull.I

Fig. 3 is a View similar to that of Fig. 5 showing a section ofthescreen raised.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the guardor screen is shown as composed ofa series of independently adjustablesections, each, section comprising a rectangular frame composed ofvertical membersl and cross members Q;

atthe points of intersectiomand a screen 3 composed of a seriesofinterlacedrodsextending transversely and "vertically, secured at theirextremitiesin the outer members of the. frame. The sections of the,screen or guard thusformedare supported by the hullof the ship by meansof a seriesoflower erably provided with extending portions which areadapted to-bear against the under face of the upper series of arms 6when said arms are in. horizontal adjustment; and

thereby assist in supporting the sections of the guard or screen.

Theapparatus for raising and lowering the various sections of the guardOrshield comprises av series of standards 8 secured to thedeck of theship at suitable intervals, which standards have'revolubly mountedtherein'sheaves e) 'which'are adapted to ac commodate a series of cables10 which are secured, at their outer endsto the respective arms 6adjacentto the outer ends of said arms, said cables passing over thesheaves 9 and preferably through the deck of the ship in the mannerclearlyillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. 7 I p I prefer to providefor each section an independently operable power winch 11 adapted toreel and unreel one of, the cables of each section, theremaining cablesbeing weighted by counterweights 12- so that the sections may be raisedand lowered with facility and with a minimum amountof power.

In addition to thesupport furnished by the extending-portions of thebracket 7 and I the cables withtheir supporting standards 8,

the several sections are further provided ,with supporting means in theform' of flexi ble cables or chains 13 secured at one end to thehullofthe ship and at the other end tothe frame of the guard or shieldsections.

v The several sections of the guard or shield drawings, sothat the hullof the ship, when the shield is in position for protecting the themembers .1 and 2 are preferably in the, v form'ofangle'ironsrigidlysecured together siding at-the cltyof St. Louls andState .of

I are disposed substantially ,as shownin the, 1

downwardly below the keel of the ship and extending upwardly slightlyabove the water line, the two'forward sections meeting in front of theprow of the ship. It is V contemplated-that the length of the arms 6 ingsufiiciently near the ship to cause any serious injury or damage. Thetorpedoes or mines impacting against the shield will be exploded, andwhile it is understood that in ordinary use the section against whichthe torpedo or mine may strike will be damaged, nevertheless repairs canreadily be effected without exposing a large portion of the ship,as-each section is independent of the others. Then the shield or guardis not in use it is raised by means of the power apparatus, inwairdlynear the hull of the ship as shown in Fig. 3' of the drawings. When inthis adjustment it will aiiord little or no resistance to the progressof the ship through the water when in motion.

I claim: e

1. A mine or torpedo guard for ships, comprising a series ofindependently adjustable sections, each section being composed or arigid metal frame and interlaced rods extending vertically andhorizontally and supported by said frame, in combination with means foradjustably supporting said sections comprising for each section aplurality of spaced brackets arranged in a rectangular series, armspivoted to said brack-' ets and extending outwardly and pivoted to saidframes, horizontal extensions on the upper ones of said brackets adaptedto constitute a support for the upper. ones of said arms, standardssupported on the deck of the ship, sheaves revolubly mounted in saidstandards,- flexible connections passing over said sheaves and havingtheir outer ends connected to the outer end of the upper ones of saidarms, respectively, and mechanism for winding and unwinding saidflexible connections,- substantially as specified.

2. A mine or torpedo g'uard for ships, comprising a series ofindependently adjustable sections, each section being com posed of ametal screen, in combination with means for adjustably supporting saidsections, comprising for each section a plu-' rality of spaced bracketsarranged in a rec-' tangular series, arms pivoted to said brackets andextending outwardly and pivoted to said screens, extensions on the upperones of said brackets constituting supports'ior the upper ones of saidarms when in one adj'u'stment','and mechanism for raising and loweringsaid sections, substantially as specified.

3. A mine or torpedo guard for ships comprising a plurality of bracketssecured to the side of the ship in a rectangular series, outwardlyextending arms pivoted to said brackets, a screen vertically disposedand having pivot connections with said arms,

a series of horizontal rests formed integral with selected ones ofsaidbrackets adapted to support certain ones of-said arms when thescreenis in one adjustment and mechanism for raising and lowering saidarms and thereby said screen, substantially as specified. i

4:. A mine or torpedo guard for ships'comprising a plurality ofindependently adjustable sections, each section being composed of arigid metal frame and interlaced rods supported thereby, in combinationwith means for adjustably supporting said sections comprising for eachsection a plurality of brackets secured to the ships sides and arrangedin rectangular series, arms pivoted to said brackets and extendingoutwardly from the ship and having pivot connections with said frames,extensions from certain of said brackets adapted to constitute a supportfor certain of said arms,- and power mechanism arranged to raise andlower said sections, substantiallyas specified.

5'. A mine or torpedo guard for ships, comprising a plurality of rigidscreens, brackets secured to the side of the ship, arms pivotedto saidbrackets and to said screens, supports for said arms located adjacent toselected ones of said brackets for supporting the screens in oneposition, and mechanism for raising and lowering said screens.

6. A mine or torpedo guard for ships, comprising a plurality of bracketssupported by the side of the ship, outwardly extending arms pivoted toeach of said brackets, a rigid screen having pivot 'connec'tion's withsaid arms, a series of horizontal rests adjacent to selected ones ofsaid brackets adapted to support certain ones of said arms when thescreen is in one adjustment, and mechanism for raising and lowering saidscreen.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ARCHIEBALD L. MCKE'LVEY.

lh itncsses L. C. KINcsLAnD,

R. M. LAwnnNcn.

comes 'of'th'is patent may be obtained for 'five cents each,b'y'addressing the Commissioner "of Patents,

Washington, 13. (1.

